Raiders, Jackson suffer 34-14 loss to Dolphins
The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.
JACKSON, RAIDERS FALL INTO TIE FOR FIRST
The Oakland Raiders, coached by former Glendale Community College quarterback Hue Jackson, lost sole possession of first place in the American Football Conference’s West Division on Sunday with a 34-14 road loss against the Miami Dolphins. The Raiders (7-5) had won three games in a row entering Sunday’s action, but Oakland’s loss, coupled with the Denver Broncos’ 35-32 road win against the Minnesota Vikings, left the two teams tied for first with four games remaining.
Miami (4-8) limited the Raiders to 304 yards of total offense. The Dolphins held the Raiders to 46 yards rushing.
“We didn’t play well. That’s on me,” Jackson told the Associated Press. “I didn’t get them ready.
“We couldn’t run. We couldn’t stop the run. We didn’t pass very well. Just a bad day at the office.”
Things don’t figure to get easier for the Raiders, who will next travel to face the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Packers are 12-0 and earned a last-second 38-35 road win Sunday against the New York Giants.
BARDEN COMPETES AGAINST CHAMPIONS
After missing the first half of the season recovering from a broken ankle he sustained last season, former Flintridge Prep standout Ramses Barden is easing back into game shape. Barden, a wide receiver for the New York Giants, caught one pass during the Giants’ 38-35 home loss against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Barden grabbed a nine-yard pass from quarterback Eli Manning with 10:25 left in the second quarter.
Barden spent the beginning of the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. He was activated Nov. 5.
In five games, Barden has caught seven passes for 84 yards. In 14 career games with the Giants, who drafted the former Cal Poly San Luis Obispo star in the third round in 2009, Barden has caught 13 passes for 184 yards.
The Giants have lost four straight games to drop to 6-6 in the National Football Conference’s East Division. New York trails the Dallas Cowboys by one game in the division. The Giants and Cowboys have two head-to-head meetings left, including Sunday at Dallas. The teams will close out the season at New York on Jan. 1.
VICK DEFENDS EAGLES’ COACH
With things haven’t gone as planned for the Philadelphia Eagles, who entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl following the acquisition of several high-priced athletes. The Eagles are 4-8 and tied for last place in the National Football Conference’s East Division with the Washington Redskins.
The Eagles, who are coached by former Glendale Community College offensive lineman Andy Reid, have played the last three games without starting quarterback Michael Vick, who suffered broken ribs.
Vick, who said he intends to play against the host Miami Dolphins on Sunday, defended Reid on Monday pertaining to speculation that Reid’s job might be in jeopardy.
“I’m not concerned about coach Reid’s situation,” Vick told the Philadelphia Daily News on Monday. “I think everything’s going to be just fine.
“We’ve had our bad breaks, games we should have won. We’ve put ourselves in awesome positions to be in the ball game, and then just couldn’t pull it out, whether on offense or defense. Honestly, I just don’t think Coach Reid had anything to do with that.
“To hear [speculation about Reid] really upsets me ... I just know everything’s going to be fine.”
The Eagles, whose playoff hopes are dwindling, are 1-4 in their last five contests. Philadelphia suffered a 31-14 road loss against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.
FOUR AREA TEAMS RANKED
A quartet of area high school teams received rankings after the CIF Southern Section office unveiled its latest polls Monday afternoon.
In girls’ soccer, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Flintridge Prep are ranked No. 1 and No. 6 in Division I and Division III, respectively.
The Crescenta Valley girls’ water polo team is ranked fourth in Division V and Glendale is eighth.
The first boys’ and girls’ basketball polls will be released on Monday.
